Chapter 5: Business Software

TRUE/FALSE

	1.	There are three major categories of software: application software, system software, and operation software.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	160

	2.	The only language that computer hardware understands is a series of electrical signals that represent bits and bytes.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	160

	3.	3GLs are significantly less procedural than 4GLs.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	161

	4.	In traditional programming, data and the operations to manipulate the data are kept separate from each other.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	163

	5.	A compiler checks one statement at a time.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	165

	6.	If the first statement that an interpreter checks is free of syntactic and execution errors, it compiles the statement into object code and makes the computer execute it.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	165

	7.	When you purchase an application, whether a computer game or a business program, you purchase a compiled version of the code, that is, the object code.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	165

	8.	Project management tools enable the creation and manipulation of local or shared databases.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	168

	9.	Hypermedia enables linking text, pictures, sounds, animations, and video.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	169

	10.	Web page development packages expedite development of Web pages.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	171

	11.	Compilers and interpreters are classified as system software.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	174

	12.	Without an operating system, applications run slowly on a computer.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	174

	13.	The great majority of business and individual software is open source, that is, software that is developed and sold for profit.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	178

	14.	All free software is also open source.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	179

	15.	While many versions of Linux can be downloaded free of charge from the Web, most firms prefer to purchase a packaged version.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	180

	16.	The permissive model of software licensing permits anyone to use, modify, and make applications with the code, but not to use it in proprietary products for sale or licensing.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	180

	17.	Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, and all other for-profit organizations that develop software own their software and license it.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	180

	18.	When an application is developed specifically for an organization, specific program goals and custom requirements are considered during the development process.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	180

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	When executives talk about productivity tools, they really mean computer programs, commonly known as software ____.
a.	devices	c.	utilities	
b.	applications	d.	appliances	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	159

	2.	____ made programming somewhat easier because they aggregated common commands into “words,” although many of those “words” are not English-like.
a.	Programming languages	c.	Assembly languages	
b.	Utility languages	d.	3GL languages	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	160

	3.	Higher-level ____ enable the use of English-like statements to accomplish a goal, and those statements are translated by special software into the machine language.
a.	utility languages	c.	appliance languages	
b.	assembly languages	d.	programming languages	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	160

	4.	Because 4GLs are very English-like, ____—locating and fixing programming errors—is relatively easy.
a.	compiling	c.	assembling	
b.	coding	d.	debugging	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	162

	5.	An increasing amount of software is developed using ____.
a.	application languages	
b.	utility languages	
c.	object-oriented programming (OOP) languages	
d.	graphic languages	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	163

	6.	____ use a modular approach, which offers two great advantages: ease of maintenance and efficiency in applications development.
a.	OOP languages	c.	assembly languages	
b.	SOP languages	d.	machine languages	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	163

	7.	____ primarily involves modifying programs to meet new business needs, but also debugging of errors that were not detected when testing the developed code.
a.	Recoding	c.	Coding	
b.	Reassembling	d.	Maintenance	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	164

	8.	The most popular OOP languages are ____, C++, Object Pascal, and Java.
a.	C	c.	Smalltalk	
b.	C##	d.	HTML	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	164

	9.	A(n) ____ scans the entire source code, looking for errors in the form (syntax) of the code.
a.	compiler	c.	coder	
b.	assembler	d.	programmer	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	165

	10.	Programs designed to perform specific jobs, such as calculating and executing a company’s payroll, are collectively called ____.
a.	application-specific software	c.	operating system software	
b.	general-purpose application software	d.	utility software	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	167

	11.	Spreadsheets and word processors are ____.
a.	application-specific applications	c.	super applications	
b.	general-purpose applications	d.	universal applications	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	167

	12.	Software developers often create ____ of productivity tools.
a.	prototypes	c.	interpretations	
b.	suites	d.	compilations	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	168

	13.	____ is a feature that enables a user to access additional information by clicking on selected text or graphics.
a.	Supermedia	c.	Hypermedia	
b.	Textmedia	d.	Fullmedia	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	169

	14.	Programs that can handle many different types of data are called ____.
a.	supermedia software	c.	packaged software	
b.	multisoftware	d.	multimedia software	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	169-170

	15.	Web page development packages include ____, Dreamweaver, and GoLive.
a.	Flash MX	c.	FullPage	
b.	FrontPage	d.	Acrobat	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	171

	16.	The most sophisticated ____ provide two important elements: immersion and interaction.
a.	VR devices	c.	multi-purpose devices	
b.	video recording devices	d.	Web devices	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	172

	17.	Many people refer to sophisticated multimedia applications that run on PCs as ____.
a.	polymedia	c.	VR	
b.	hypermedia	d.	overmedia	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	173

	18.	The purpose of ____ is to manage computer resources and perform routine tasks that are not specific to any application.
a.	system languages	c.	production tools	
b.	production software	d.	system software	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	174

	19.	The ____ mediates between applications and the computer, and controls peripheral devices.
a.	operating system	c.	4GL	
b.	utility system	d.	application software	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	174

	20.	OSs are usually developed with the aid of ____, such as assembly languages or C.
a.	4GL programming languages	c.	high-level programming languages	
b.	low-level programming languages	d.	OOP programming languages	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	175

	21.	Computers operate on a number of layers, starting from the user interface and moving inward to the ____.
a.	procedures and functions	c.	application software	
b.	language translators	d.	hardware	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	175

	22.	NetWare and ____ are popular network operating systems that are compatible with clients running DOS, all versions of Windows, and Mac OS.
a.	Windows XP Professional	c.	Windows CE	
b.	MS DOS	d.	Windows Server	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	177

	23.	One OS that has grown in popularity is ____, which can be obtained free of charge.
a.	Windows CE	c.	Solaris	
b.	Linux	d.	MVS	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	177

	24.	While operating systems are the most prevalent type of system software, other types of system programs include compilers and ____, communications software, and utilities.
a.	programmers	c.	coders	
b.	debuggers	d.	interpreters	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	178

	25.	____ is the best known open source operating system.
a.	Solaris	c.	Windows XP	
b.	Linux	d.	Mac OS X	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	179

	26.	Reputable software companies including IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Dell have committed to supporting ____ by developing applications that run on it.
a.	Linux	c.	Mac OS X	
b.	Netware	d.	Palm OS	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	179

	27.	Most of the software that organizations and individuals obtain is not purchased; it is ____.
a.	leased	c.	downloaded	
b.	licensed	d.	reproduced	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	180

	28.	Much of the software we use is ____, which means the code is owned by someone who has the right to sell or license it to us.
a.	pre-owned	c.	proprietary	
b.	open source	d.	public	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	180

	29.	____ takes several forms, such as a fee per user per year, or a site license for a limited or unlimited use regardless of how many users use the software.
a.	Distributing	c.	Licensing	
b.	Dealing	d.	Sourcing	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	180

COMPLETION

	1.	____________________ enables users to complete a particular application or task, such as word processing, investment analysis, data manipulation, or project management.

ANS:	Application software

PTS:	1	REF:	160

	2.	____________________ enables application software to run on a computer and manages the interaction between the CPU, memory, storage, input/output devices, and other computer components.

ANS:	System software

PTS:	1	REF:	160

	3.	To accelerate their work, programmers can use one of several ____________________, such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Borland Delphi, Micro Focus COBOL, ASNA Visual RPG, and Visual C++.

ANS:	visual programming languages

PTS:	1	REF:	162

	4.	In ____________________, software developers treat objects as parts, or standardized modules that work together and can be used and reused.

ANS:	
OOP
object-oriented programming
object-oriented programming (OOP)

PTS:	1	REF:	164

	5.	The main advantage of Java, JavaScript, and J2EE is that the code produced—often called ____________________—can be executed well regardless of the operating system the computer uses.

ANS:	applets

PTS:	1	REF:	165

	6.	Code written in interpreted programming languages can run only on machines whose disks store the ____________________.

ANS:	interpreter

PTS:	1	REF:	165

	7.	General-purpose applications are available as ____________________; that is, they come ready to install from an external storage medium such as a CD or a file downloaded from a vendor’s Web site.

ANS:	packaged software

PTS:	1	REF:	167

	8.	Linking among documents involves ____________________ technologies, and embedding information such as sound and video clips in documents uses multimedia technologies.

ANS:	hypermedia

PTS:	1	REF:	168

	9.	____________________ applications are programs that enable workers to collaborate in real time over the Web.

ANS:	Groupware

PTS:	1	REF:	171

	10.	____________________ applications mimic sensory reality using software.

ANS:	
VR
Virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR)

PTS:	1	REF:	172

	11.	_________________________ are often referred to as “platforms,” because they are the platform on which all other applications “ride” when interacting with the hardware.

ANS:	
OSs
Operating systems
Operating systems (OSs)

PTS:	1	REF:	175

	12.	Some OSs perform ____________________ such as hardware diagnostics, file comparison, file sorting, and the like.

ANS:	utilities

PTS:	1	REF:	175

	13.	A(n) ____________________ is the software that enables the OS to control a device, either one installed inside the computer box (such as a second video card) or an external device such as a flash memory drive.

ANS:	driver

PTS:	1	REF:	176

	14.	The developers of ____________________ do not make the source code of their software public.

ANS:	proprietary software

PTS:	1	REF:	178

	15.	A(n) ____________________ program can be developed by a random group of programmers, rather than by a single company.

ANS:	open source

PTS:	1	REF:	178

	16.	The ____________________ and documentation for Firefox is open: programmers from the world over can access it and improve it.

ANS:	source code

PTS:	1	REF:	179

	17.	The ____________________ licensing model allows anyone to use, modify, and make the software into a product that can be sold or licensed for profit.

ANS:	permissive

PTS:	1	REF:	180

ESSAY

	1.	Describe the term software.

ANS:	
Software is a series of instructions to a computer to execute any and all processes, such as displaying text, mathematically manipulating numbers, or copying or deleting documents. Computers only understand instructions made up of electrical signals alternating between two states, which eventually close or open tiny electrical circuits. Different sequences of signals represent different instructions to the computer. In the early days of computers, programming a computer meant actually changing the computer’s wiring by opening and closing switches or moving plugs from one circuit to another. Because programs today consist of instructions that require no hardware reconfiguration, the skill of composing software programs is independent of building or directly manipulating hardware.

PTS:	1	REF:	159

	2.	Discuss visual programming languages.

ANS:	
To accelerate their work, programmers can use one of several visual programming languages, such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Borland Delphi, Micro Focus COBOL, ASNA Visual RPG, and Visual C++. These languages let programmers create field windows, scroll-down menus, click buttons, and other objects by simply choosing the proper icon from a palette. They can then use a flexible tool to shape and color these objects. Seeing exactly and immediately how boxes and menus look on-screen reduces the chance of bugs and lets programmers finish their jobs faster than if they had to write code. The appropriate code is written automatically for them when they click on elements. However, the programmer can always go back to the code and add or change statements for operations that cannot easily be accomplished by using the visual aids. Thus, knowledge of the programming language is still required.

PTS:	1	REF:	162

	3.	Discuss some advantages of object-oriented programming (OOP) over procedural languages.

ANS:	
Object-oriented programming languages require less code than other languages. They also require less time than programming in other languages. In addition, OOP enhances program modularity and reusability. OOPs make code maintenance easier. Also, OOPs enhance ability to create user-friendly interface. Finally, OOPs are appropriate for graphic- and sound-enhanced applications.

PTS:	1	REF:	163

	4.	In what way do project management tools help project managers?

ANS:	
Project management tools, such as Microsoft Project or the free Open Workbench, help managers of any type of project—such as building construction, product development, and software development—to plan projects and track their progress. Project managers enter information such as tasks and their expected completion dates, milestones, and resources required for each task: labor hours, materials, and services. The software alerts planners when they enter illogical information, such as scheduling a worker to work 120 hours in one week, and when tasks violate interdependencies. The latter happens when, for instance, planners schedule the start of Phase D before the completion of Phase C, though they had previously indicated that Phase D depends on the completion of Phase C.

PTS:	1	REF:	168

	5.	What are the advantages of open source software over proprietary software?

ANS:	
The advantages of open source software over proprietary software are clear: the software has fewer bugs because thousands of independent programmers review the code, and it can offer more innovative features by incorporating ideas from a diverse set of experts from different countries and cultures who collaborate. The motive for developing and improving open source software is not monetary, but rather the satisfaction of solving programming problems and the recognition of one’s contribution. Programmers who improve such software do it for fame and recognition by their peers the world over. They collaborate mainly via the Internet. They post patches of code that improve current code, or add extensions and plug-ins to enhance functionality of an application. These extensions are free for all to download and use. The major disadvantage is that development and support depend on the continued effort of an army of volunteers.

PTS:	1	REF:	179